NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Fourteen New Rochelle youths are ready to enter the workforce after graduating Friday from the New York Youth Works Construction Training Program.

The city worked with the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority, county officials and the state Department of Labor to train the selected 16- to 24-year-olds through a $274,000 grant program that provides job training to people who didn’t have jobs or the resources to get job training.

The housing authority received $138,000 in grant money to help fund the training.

Some of those trainees already have been placed on the Heritage Homes construction site on Winthrop Avenue. Others will soon be placed at other sites throughout the city.

Graduate Kenneth Jones said he felt a sense of accomplishment when he finished the six weeks of training with his fellow grads.

“We stuck through it,” he said.

The other $138,000 for the program is being used to pair youths with city businesses so they gain on-the-job experience and learn how to dress and prepare for an interview.

The city hopes to find these businesses soon for an eight-week training workshop, and is asking for help to find them.

The City Council gave the youth bureau the OK to start the program in September.

District 3 councilman Jared Rice said he was proud to see a program he helped lead come into being.

“This has been a long journey and we’re kind of to a point where we’re ready to show what this thing is all about,” he said.